allay

verb

al·​lay a-ˈlā How to pronounce allay (audio)
ə-
allayed; allaying; allays

transitive verb

1
: to subdue or reduce in intensity or severity : alleviate
expect a breeze to allay the heat
2
: to make quiet : calm
trying to allay their fears

intransitive verb

obsolete : to diminish in strength : subside
Choose the Right Synonym for allay

relieve, alleviate, lighten, assuage, mitigate, allay mean to make something less grievous.

relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

Examples of allay in a Sentence

The new advertising campaign is an attempt to allay the public's concerns about the safety of the company's products. a gentle breeze would allay the heat
Recent Examples on the Web For now, United and Kirby are working to allay travelers’ concerns over the Boeing planes that make up a large part of their fleet. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 The violent confrontation on the A train happened a little more than a week after the governor ordered the National Guard into the subway in an effort to allay safety concerns. Michael Wilson, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 State of the Union President Joe Biden delivered his third State of the Union address Thursday night, turning in a raucous speech that Democrats hope will allay some of the party’s pre-election fears. Aj Willingham, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Tesla shares plummeted more than 10 percent Thursday, wiping billions off the company’s valuation after CEO Elon Musk failed to allay concerns about stagnating growth and persistent price cuts on the company’s earnings call. Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2024 The latest filing suggests regulators still aren’t sure if the deal should go through or if a $2.3 billion deal announced in September to divest stores is large enough to allay concerns about competition. Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 9 Jan. 2024 To allay livestock industry fears, ranchers who lose livestock or herding and guard animals to wolf attacks will be paid fair market value, up to $15,000 per animal. Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 20 Dec. 2023 Asher is able to mostly allay the couple’s concerns on this front, but there’s a bigger issue that won’t go away: The husband, Dennis, will not swap sweating. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2023 Public-private partnerships between studios and AI labs would allay Hollywood's fears while previewing possibilities. Elijah Clark, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'allay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English alayen, from Old English ālecgan, from ā- (perfective prefix) + lecgan to lay — more at abide, lay

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of allay was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near allay

Cite this Entry

“Allay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allay. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

allay

verb
al·​lay a-ˈlā How to pronounce allay (audio)
ə-
allayed; allaying
1
: to make less severe : relieve
allay pain
2
: to make quiet : calm
allay fears

More from Merriam-Webster on allay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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